There are a few ways to get cheaper life insurance, whether you're shopping for the first time or already have a policy.
Nupur Gambhir is a licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert and a former senior editor at Policygenius. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service Cake.
Life insurance rates are generally affordable, especially for term coverage. But most people wonder how to save money on life insurance; they want to ensure that they are getting the most coverage possible for the least amount of premium. There are some simple ways to lower your premiums, whether you're shopping for the first time or already own a policy.
As soon as you know you need life insurance, you should buy in order to lock-in lower life insurance premiums . On average, the cost of life insurance will increase 4.5 to 9% every year as you age. When you apply and buy when you’re young and healthy, you can lock-in those lower rates and save yourself a lot of money over the term of your policy.
Each life insurance company prices their coverage based on their own underwriting criteria, and that means that the price for the same coverage can vary widely from company to company. When you work with a marketplace like Policygenius to find and buy insurance, experienced agents help you choose the company that is friendliest to your personal profile, ensuring that you get your best price. Some insurers, for example, offer better rates for people with diabetes, or people who have a history of cancer, or people who have had mental health diagnoses.
The easiest way to save money when buying life insurance is to choose a term life insurance policy instead of a permanent life insurance policy. Permanent life insurance costs five to 15 times more than term life insurance. Term life insurance is simple insurance: you pay premiums for a set term, and if you die during that term, your beneficiaries get a set death benefit. Permanent policies are more complex financial products that can be useful for complex situations (like if you have complex estate planning needs). But most people need term life insurance.